1.
My fancȳ* did I fix,
in faithful form and frame:
In hope there should no blust’ring blast
hāve pow’r to mọve the same.
2.
And as the gods do know,
and wȯrld can witness bear:
I never sėrvèd other saint,
nor idol otherwhere.
3.
But ōne, and that was she,
whom I in heart did shrine:
And made account that precious pearl,
and jewel rich was mine.
4.
No toil, nor labour gre͞at
could wearȳ me herein:
For still I had a Jason’s heart,
the golden fleece to win.
5.
And sure my suit was heard,
I spent no time in vain:
A grant of friendship at her hand,
I got to quit my pain.
6.
With solemn vow and oath
was knit the true love knot,
And friendlȳ did we treat of love
as place and time we got.
7.
Now would we send our sighs
as far as they might go,
Now would we wȯrk with open signs
to blaze our inward woe.
8.
Now rings, and tokens too,
renewed our friendship still,
And each device that could be wrought
expressed our plain goodwill,
9.
True meaning went withal,
it cannot be denied:
Performance of the promise past
was hoped for of each side:
10.
And looked for out of hand:
such vows did we two make,
As God himself had present been,
record thereof to take.
11.
And for my part I swear
by all the gods above,
I never thought of other friend,
nor sought for other love.
12.
The same consent in her
I saw full oft appear,
If eyes could see or head could judge,
or ear had pow’r to hear.
13.
Yet lo wȯrds are but wīnd,
another newcome guest
Hath won her favour (as I fear)
as fanci͞es rise in breast.
14.
Her friend that well desėrves
is out of count’nance quite,
She makes the game to see me shoot
while others hit the white.
15.
He way well beat the bush,
as manȳ thousands do:
And miss the birds, and haplȳ lose
his part of feathers too.
16.
He hops without the ring,
yet danceth on the trace,
When some come after soft and fair,
a heavȳ hobling pace.
17.
In these unconstant days,
such troth these women hāve:
As wav’ring as the aspen leaf
they are, so God me save.
18.
For no desėrts of men
are weighed, what ere they be:
For in a mood their minds are led
with new delights we see.
19.
The guiltless goeth to wrack
the gorgeous peacocks gay:
They do esteem upon no cause,
and turn their friends away.
20.
I blame not all for ōne,
some flow’rs grow by the weeds,
Some are as sure as lock and key,
and just of wȯrds and deeds.
21.
And yet of ōne I wail,
of ōne I cry and plain:
And for her sake shall never none,
so nip my heart aga͞in:
22.
If for offence or fault
I had been flung at heel:
The less had been my bitter smart,
and gnawing grief I feel.
23.
But being ōnce retained
a friend by her consent:
And after that to be disdained,
when best good will I meant,
24.
I take it nothing well,
for if my pow’r could show,
With larum bell, and open cry,
the wȯrld should throughlȳ know.
* For an explanation of the marks added to the letters, see Linguistic notes: English.